Despite
three straight bowl trips (from 2000-02)
and a Conference USA title in '02, Rick
Minter never turned football into the top
sport at UC. Even with a new coach and high
hopes for '04, the top story screaming out
of Cincy in the spring was head basketball
coach Bob Huggins' DUI.

During
a Cincinnati Enquirer Web chat in late January,
a fan asked Dantonio how he could increase
the fan base. Dantonio said that joining
the Big East, playing a tough non-conference
schedule and recruiting Ohio players are
the keys. Actually, the Cats have been fairly
consistent with the latter two. The first
is the wild card.

Dantonio,
a strong recruiter, will well-mine the talent-rich
state to compete in a conference that loses
its top teams. He'll get an indication of
what's in store Sept. 18 when his team visits
Syracuse. Regardless of how the Cats fare
in the Carrier Dome, the goal this fall
should be a Conference USA title, which
would provide the ideal momentum for next
campaign, the school's first in the Big
East.

While
Cincy was 5-7 and 2-6 in the conference
in Minter's last season, the program wasn't
in left in disarray for Dantonio. Five of
those seven losses were by a TD or less,
and four of those were via fourth-quarter
comebacks by opposing teams - an obvious
reason for Minter's exit. Dantonio will
keep that from reoccurring. The offense
returns intact, with a line that could even
keep Marge Schott safe. The defense, which
was 27th in the nation, has fixable holes
on the interior line and in the secondary.
It was only two years ago that this team
won a conference title, so it's not as if
Dantonio has to build a winning mindset,
too. If/when this team finds consistency,
they will win with regularity.

As
promised, the non-conference schedule is
a doozy. Dantonio debuts in Columbus against
his old team before playing host to Miami
of Ohio. Then comes Syracuse. Oh-and-three
isn't out of the question. But this is how
kids this age realize their potential -
to have their worth tested, broken down,
and then rebuilt to ultimately be stronger.
Things are relatively easier once the conference
schedule begins. With what Minter left behind,
don't be surprised to see Cincy leave Conference
USA as champions, with Dantonio amongst
coach-of-the-year candidates.

Quarterback
The key to this offense is senior Gino Guidugli,
a strong-armed pocket passer entering his fourth
year as starter. He's a solid 6-3 and has some
quickness, which should get him several NFL looks.
But Gino must be more accurate. He regressed in
his third year as starter, throwing (an acceptable)
10 picks, but with just 14 TDs. Some things will
give to these ends - Cincy's receivers look to
be stronger this year, and the offense will be
more creative under new head coach Mark Dantonio.
Still, the pressure's on Gino, and after three
years as the Man, he should be used to it. Expect
better numbers. If Gino goes down, there will
be an enormous experience gap. Backup George Murray,
the team's second fastest player (4.41-40), has
seen plenty of time ... catching Gino's passes.
He's an undeniable athlete, but as a QB, he's
mostly been used (deceptively) as a runner. The
future is redshirt freshman Todd Spitzer, a 6-5
dropback bomber who was the scout team co-offensive
player of the year last fall. The unit is strong,
but performance is unpredictable.

Running
Back
Like the passing game, expect better numbers here.
Richard Hall (like Dantonio, an OSU transfer)
might have been a 1,000-yard rusher in '03 had
he stayed healthy. He has 4.6-speed and is a worthy
receiving target. Durability is a concern, but
he has a more experienced line. Hall rarely loses
yards, always a coaches' desire. Moreover, Dantonio
is striving for balance with his offense, so Hall
will have to be effective and should expect plenty
of work. If he can't handle it, there's backup
Carl Jones, another fast former receiver who averaged
a team-best 5.0 yards per carry and got plenty
of reps in Hall's absence. There's loads of speed
here, but any real power will come from junior
Kyle Koester, a 240-pounder who excels in short-yardage
situations, and fullback Ken Smith, a converted
LB. Hall's the closest thing to a total-package
back, but as a unit these guys have enough to
provide a consistent ground attack.

Receiver
There's talent here, but that was hard to believe
last fall as inexperience took its toll. Dantonio
will soon realize the "year older-year better"
cliché holds true with this group. The
diamond in the rough is 6-3 senior Hannibal Thomas,
a JUCO-transfer who didn't start getting looks
until midway through the season. He has the sure
hands, size and strength of a possession guy,
and the speed to be a substantial deep threat.
Despite not getting a catch until game seven,
he wound up fourth in grabs (22), tied for first
in TD catches (three) while averaging 18.8 yards
per reception. Murray, the backup QB and leading
receiver in '03 (30 catches), is a possession
guy who's quick enough to spread defenses. Derick
Ross is also (proven) quick enough to go deep.
There are plenty of weapons here for Guidugli,
especially when these guys start playing to their
potential.

Tight
End
Though he's been in the lineup as long as Guidugli,
don't expect senior A.J. Lucious to get many balls
tossed his way -- he's had just three receptions
in each of the past two seasons. But Lucious is
a physical presence up front who has added 25
pounds of bulk since arriving on campus four years
ago. Brent Celek, a 6-4 soph, played in every
game as a freshman and is more of a receiving
threat, though he had only two catches.

Offensive
Line
Big and experienced, this group's talent level
means they could be (one of, if not) Conference
USA's best O-line(s). A physical front will be
needed to spark this fast, power-light backfield.
Senior guard Kyle Takavitz, an all-conference
selection in '03, is the leader. A former starter
at tackle, he's strong, versatile and considered
one of the nation's best pass-blockers (great
news for Gino). Senior starting tackles Steve
Eastlake and Clint Stickdorn secure the outsides
well, in both running and passing situations.
Center (junior) Matt Webster has the edge over
Joel Yakovac (at the end of spring ball). Cincy
allowed just 20 sacks and was fifth in the conference
in rushing offense, trends that will continue.

OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
Dantonio's new offense, now under the direction
of (former Miami of Ohio) offensive coordinator
Don Treadwell, will be more exciting than that
of former coach Rick Minter, though that's not
saying much. Insider info - Cincy fans and media
actually got excited when the offense opened the
spring game with a pass. Don't expect the Fun-and-Gun,
but, with nine starters back, the pieces are here
for a nice, balanced offense. After working with
Ben Roethlisberger, Treadwell has another NFL
possibility in Guidugli, who will benefit from
a seasoned line, improving WR corps, and a talented
tailback in Hall. As much heat as it got, last
year's offense under Minter was fifth in the conference
and 44th in all of I-A. There's no reason why
this one shouldn't be better.

OG
Kyle Takavitz

CINCINNATI
2004 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters in bold

OFFENSE

QB

Gino
Guidugli-Sr (6-3, 220)

George
Murray-Sr (6-1, 194)

FB

Ken
Smith-So (5-11, 234)

Evan
Sparks-So (6-0, 205)

RB

Richard
Hall-Sr (5-11, 208)

Carl
Jones-Jr (5-9, 187)
Derrick Eddington-So (5-7, 192)

WR

Derick
Ross-Jr (5-10, 186)

Cedric
Dawley-Sr (6-1, 210)

WR

George
Murray-Sr (6-1, 193)

Bill
Poland-So (6-3, 180)

WR

Hannibal
Thomas-Sr (6-3, 205)

Mike
Daniels-So (5-7, 185)

TE

A.J.
Lucius-Sr (6-3, 250)

Brent
Celek-So (6-4, 240)

OT

Steve
Eastlake-Sr (6-5, 280)

Frank
Straub-So (6-6, 305)

OG

Kyle
Takavitz-Sr (6-4, 303)

Adam
Shorter-Sr (6-6, 291)

C

Joel
Yakovac-Jr (6-2, 283)

Matt
Webster-Jr (6-3, 284)

OG

Matt
Mercer-Sr (6-3, 300)

Jeff
Reinstatler-So (6-2, 283)

OT

Clint
Stickdorn-Sr (6-6, 308)

Jeremy
Schlicher-Sr (6-6, 283)

K

Chet
Ervin-Jr (6-3, 175)

Chris
Manfredini-So (5-9, 165)

2004
DEFENSE

Defensive
Line
After the spring game, Dantonio said, "Our
good players are our front seven." Well,
he has probably the conference's best DE-duo in
seniors Trent Cole and Andre Frazier. Both are
tough pass rushers, and both are bigger, though
only increasing their weights to modestly respectable
levels of around 250. Cole, an all-CUSA pick,
is more athletic and the better all-around player.
The middle is softer, literally. New starters
Mike Wright and Lonnie Simmons are a pair of 300-pound
seniors who need to step up. Wright's career has
been stymied by injuries up to this point. Simmons,
a Michigan State-transfer, is one of the team's
biggest linemen but was easy to miss last fall.
When Wright and Simmons struggle to tie up linemen
and fill holes, the front seven will take a step
back.

Linebacker
The experienced, though not huge, senior LB trio
that returns should be tough to run against. Jamar
Enzor, Tyjuan Hagler and Jason Russell combined
for nearly 300 tackles last season, with 137 coming
from Enzor in the middle. Russell is the most
athletic of the three and is also the trio's best
pass-rusher and -defender. Hagler can hit like
Marvelous Marvin from the SAM spot, but, like
Enzor, he's mostly a run-stopper. With ends like
Cole and Frazier, these guys can afford to sit
back - until the middle need help. Steady is the
key word here. Once spread thin, these guys are
human again, something we will often see.

Defensive
Back
This is the biggest question mark for the new
staff. Adequate strong safety Doug Monaghan is
back for his fourth year as starter, and big-play
corner Daven Holly (team-best 4.39-40) returns.
Everyone else here is pretty green. After being
moved from position-to-position, Tedric Harwell
will try to fill in at corner. In terms of depth,
it doesn't look like there are any Ronnie Lotts
waiting in the wings, though soph CB Brian Dodd
looked good in picking off a pair of spring game
passes. Success was found by this crew in '03,
so some of that will carry over. Just how much
will define the entire defensive effort and, ultimately,
how far the team itself goes.

DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
As Ohio State's defensive coordinator the previous
three seasons, Dantonio knows where solid 'D'
can take a team. That side of the ball dominated
Cincy's spring game, holding the offenses to a
combined 14 points and 399 yards in four 10-minute
quarters. Of those yards, 289 were through the
air, an indication of the Achilles of this defense,
and possibly this entire team. Monaghan and Holly
will be stars, and the front seven will have to
put more pressure on the QB. The Cats will consistently
get beat in the air. The issues really are how
bad and how often? The answers determine the outcome
of the season.

DE
Trent Cole

CINCINNATI
2004 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters in bold

DEFENSE

DE

Trent
Cole-Sr (6-4, 250)

Adam
Roberts-Jr (6-3, 240)

DT

Lonnie
Simmons-Sr (6-4, 300)

Jamie
Wimmer-So (6-4, 280)
Jordan Roth-Fr (6-2, 270)

NT

Mike
Wright-Sr (6-5, 291)

Jon
Newton-Fr (6-3, 270)

DE

Andre
Frazier-Sr (6-5, 250)

Angelo
Craig-Fr (6-5, 205)

OLB

Jason
Russell-Sr (6-2, 210)

Dominic
Ross-So (6-0, 177)

MLB

Jamar
Enzor-Sr (6-1, 222)

Jermaine
Wilson-Sr (6-0, 219)

OLB

Tyjuan
Hagler-Sr (6-2, 222)

Jamey
Murphy-Sr (6-2, 234)

CB

Tedric
Harwell-Sr (5-11, 188)

Brian
Dodd-So (5-9, 185)

CB

Daven
Holly-Sr (5-11, 184)

John
Bowie-So (5-11, 186)

SS

Doug
Monaghan-Sr (6-3, 210)

Anthony
Williams-Fr (6-1, 190)

FS

JaJuan
Hall-So (6-0, 185)

Antoine
Horton-Sr (5-10, 178)

P

Chet
Ervin-Jr (6-3, 175)

Jordan
Lear-Fr (6-7, 225)

2004
SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker/Punter
Among the many returnees is junior Chet Ervin, who takes
care of punting, long field goals and kickoffs. He has
to be better. Ervin was 10th in the conference and had
four kicks blocked. Ervin also had three field goals
blocked. Dantonio had his special teams practice "live"
(at game speed) all spring in hopes of improving. His
kickers, including usually accurate short-range guy
Chris Manfredini, were 0-for-3 in field goals in the
spring game. But at least nothing was blocked.

Return
Game
Another area that needs work. Cincy was middle of the
pack in both punt and kick returns. The Cats failed
to get a TD via either. After averaging 15.0 yards per
return on punts, Carl Jones should get the nod. On kicks,
look for Jones and the multi-talented Murray to get
looks. With the (team) speed here, this area shouldn't
have been as mediocre.